EMBARGOED UNTIL AG WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST (202) 514-2007 TDD (202) 514-1888
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________________________________________________________________________ EMBARGOED UNTIL AG WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2009 at 2:00 PM EST (202) 514-2007 WWW.JUSTICE.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888 ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER RECOGNIZES DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS FOR THEIR SERVICE AT ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY WASHINGTON — Attorney General Eric Holder recognizes 247 department employees for their distinguished public service today at the 57th Annual Attorney General Awards Ceremony. Thirty-nine other individuals outside of the department are also honored for their work. Held at DAR Constitution Hall, this annual ceremony recognizes both department employees and others for their dedication to carrying out the Department of Justice’s mission. “It is my privilege to honor these recipients for their outstanding service and commitment to our country,” Attorney General Holder said. “Each of these dedicated servants has carried out the important mission of the Department of Justice and has done so with excellence and distinction. Their varied accomplishments have advanced the interests of justice on behalf of the American people, and I’m proud to call them my colleagues.” Attorney General Holder and Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden presented the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service – the department’s highest award – to the team responsible for the prosecution of United States v. Ferguson. The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service is the department’s highest award. The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service is presented to the team whose investigation and prosecution ended a three-year crime spree, headed by former Los Angeles Police Department Officer Ruben Palomares. The six-year investigation and prosecution that broke this conspiracy resulted in 15 individuals pleading guilty and the conviction at trial of two others. Through their tireless dedication, teamwork, creativity and legal skill, they helped restore a sense of justice to victims and communities who had been preyed upon by the very people who had sworn to serve and protect them. The recipients of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service include, from the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Jeffrey S. Blumberg, Special Litigation Counsel; Joshua D. Mahan, Trial Attorney; from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Douglas McKinley Miller, Assistant U.S. 1 Attorney; and from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Los Angeles Division, Special Agent Philip J. Carson. The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism is given to recognize an extraordinary act of courage and voluntary risk of life during the performance of official duties. This year, the award was presented to Anthony J. Layfield, Senior Officer Specialist of the Federal Bureau of Prisons U.S. Penitentiary in Atlanta. Anthony J. Layfield is honored for his commendable act of heroism. On June 2, 2008, a fellow officer was violently attacked by a highly aggressive inmate. As a result of Officer Layfield’s quick, decisive actions, and his continued attentiveness and dedication to duty, the life of a staff member was saved. This heroic act spared a family the loss of a husband and a father. ‘’ The Edward H. Levi Award for Outstanding Professionalism and Exemplary Integrity is presented to pay tribute to the memory and achievements of former Attorney General Edward H. Levi, whose career as an attorney, law professor and dean, and public servant exemplified these qualities in the best traditions of the department. Edwin S. Kneedler, Deputy Solicitor General for the Office of the Solicitor General, is presented the award this year. Mr. Kneedler played an indispensable role in complex and time-consuming intra- governmental deliberations on diverse matters of great sensitivity and importance, including the handling of congressional subpoenas of former presidential advisors and presidential records, the proper treatment of Guantanamo detainees, the release of Office of Legal Counsel opinions, and the appropriate role and uses of presidential signing statements. The Mary C. Lawton Lifetime Service Award recognizes employees who have served at least 20 years in the department and have demonstrated high standards of excellence and dedication throughout their careers. This year’s award is presented to William J. Edwards, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. Mr. Edwards is recognized for his outstanding legal expertise, managerial and supervisory skills, and his active leadership role as the interim U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. For more than 40 years, Mr. Edwards has fostered strong relationships throughout his federal career with the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) and other heads of federal, local and state agencies in support of the law enforcement efforts of this District. Mr. Edwards is an exceptional individual and role model who epitomizes professionalism and dedication as an outstanding federal employee. The William French Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cooperative Law Enforcement is an honorary award granted to recognize state and local law enforcement officials who have made significant contributions to cooperative law enforcement endeavors. This year’s award is presented to Detective Deborah K. Scates of the Hartford, Conn., Police Department and Sergeant Christopher McKee of 2 the Windsor, Conn., Police Department for their the investigation and prosecution of United States v. Paris, et al., a high-profile sex trafficking case that resulted in the conviction of 10 individuals and the rescue of multiple women and juvenile girls that the individuals exploited. The Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Public Service is the top public service award granted by the department, and is designed to recognize the most significant contributions of citizens and organizations that have assisted the Department of Justice in the accomplishment of its mission and objectives. This year’s award is presented to a team from the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Miami, Fla. Recipients include Dr. Selma DeJesus, Chief Psychologist; Dr. Sherri Skibinski, Drug Abuse Program Coordinator Nestor Chavez, Supervisor of Education; Lori Bearden, Case Manager; Giovanni Gras, Teacher; Mark Jones, Correctional Counselor; and Paola Londono, Unit Secretary. These award recipients developed the Inmate Change and Alternative Network (ICAN). ICAN is part of a re-entry program that focuses on networking with Federal, State, and local agencies to create a partnership and/or referral network that provides services to equip inmates for release. The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is the Justice Department’s second highest award for employee performance. The recipients of this award exemplify the highest commitment to the department’s mission. Seventeen Distinguished Service Awards were presented this year to individuals or teams of people. One award is presented to members of a team from the National Criminal Enforcement Section of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division including Mark R. Rosman, Assistant Chief, and Trial Attorneys Brent C. Snyder, Kathryn M. Hellings, Mark C. Grundvig and Elizabeth A. Aloi. Through the team’s leadership, dedication, and exceptional investigative and litigation efforts, multiple worldwide conspiracies to fix and raise prices, rates and fees for airline passenger travel and for airline cargo shipments of goods were broken up, and competition was restored to a globally vital industry. The Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is also presented to a team honored for their extraordinary efforts throughout the fast-moving and intense trial and appellate proceedings to defend the Navy’s ability to conduct mission critical training using active SONAR prior to deployment to hot spots around the world, while at the same time working with the Navy to ensure compliance with the nation’s environmental laws. Recipients were from the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Seth M. Barsky, Assistant Section Chief; Kristen L. Gustafson and S. Jay Govindan, Senior Trial Attorneys; Kevin W. McArdle and Michael R. Eitel, Trial Attorneys; from the Natural Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Charles W. Findlay III, Assistant Section Chief; Charles R. Shockey, Luther L. Hajek and Guillermo A. Montero, Trial Attorneys; from the Appellate Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division, Andrew C. Mergen, Assistant Section Chief; Allen M. Brabender, Michael T. Gray and Charles R. Scott, Trial Attorneys; from the Office of the Solicitor General, 3 Edwin S. Kneedler, Deputy Solicitor General and Anthony A. Yang, Assistant to the Solicitor General. Another Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service is presented to Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Lynch from the Western District of Washington. Phil Lynch is recognized for his outstanding commitment to justice on both United States and international soil. For 14 years, he successfully defended the United States as a civil Assistant U.S. Attorney handling numerous, complex medical malpractice actions for the Western District of Washington. From 2005-2006, he served at the Regime Crimes Liaison Office in Baghdad, where he assisted Iraqi attorneys prosecuting crimes by the regime of Saddam Hussein. In January 2008, Mr. Lynch once again agreed to leave family and home to serve a one-year term as the Rule